472 capacitor value
4.7 nF
4,700 pF · 4.7 nF · 0.0047 µF
| Marked code | 472 |
| Picofarads | 4,700 pF |
| Nanofarads | 4.7 nF |
| Microfarads | 0.0047 µF |
| Farads | 4.70e-9 F |
Reading the code
The three digits are not a part number. The first two are the value in picofarads and the third says what to do with them:
47 × 102 = 4,700 pF
So 472 is 47 followed by 2 zeros: 4,700 pF. The code is always in picofarads even when the part is sold in microfarads, which is the whole difficulty with it — a capacitor marked 472 is stocked as 0.0047 µF and the two numbers look nothing alike.
What 4.7 nF does at frequency
A capacitor's opposition to a signal is its reactance, 1 ÷ (2πfC), and it falls as the frequency rises. Over the range of frequencies a circuit can put across it, a 4.7 nF part covers several orders of magnitude:
| Frequency | Reactance |
|---|---|
| 50 Hz — mains | 677.26 kΩ |
| 1 kHz — audio | 33.86 kΩ |
| 100 kHz — switching | 338.63 Ω |
| 10 MHz — RF | 3.39 Ω |
Ten times the frequency is a tenth of the reactance, every time — which is why choosing a decoupling capacitor is really choosing the frequency band you want it to be low-impedance across, and why boards carry several sizes in parallel rather than one large one.
The letter after the number
A code like 472K carries a tolerance letter. It is not part of the value:
| Letter | Tolerance | 4.7 nF means |
|---|---|---|
472J | ±5% | 4.465 nF to 4.935 nF |
472K | ±10% | 4.23 nF to 5.17 nF |
472M | ±20% | 3.76 nF to 5.64 nF |
472Z | +80% / −20% | 3.76 nF to 8.46 nF |
A Z is worth knowing about. +80%/−20% is a real tolerance on cheap high-permittivity ceramics, and it means a part marked 472Z can legitimately be anything from 3.76 nF to 8.46 nF. Those go in decoupling positions where only the rough size matters, never in a timing or filter position.
Where 4.7 nF turns up
Single-figure nanofarads is audio filtering and snubbing across switch contacts. It is also the range where a capacitor stops being a precision component and starts being a bypass, depending on the dielectric it is made from.
Frequently asked questions
What is the value of a 472 capacitor?
4.7 nF — 4,700 pF · 4.7 nF · 0.0047 µF. The first two digits are the value in picofarads and the third is how many zeros follow, so 472 is 47 followed by 2 zeros = 4,700 pF.
What is a 472 capacitor in µF?
0.0047 µF. Going from picofarads to microfarads is six decimal places, which is where most of the confusion with these codes comes from — 4,700 pF, 4.7 nF and 0.0047 µF are the same capacitor written three ways.
What does the letter after 472 mean?
Tolerance. 472K is ±10%, 472J is ±5% and 472M is ±20% — so a 472K is anywhere from 4.23 nF to 5.17 nF and still in specification. A Z means +80%/−20%, which is not a mistake: some ceramic dielectrics really are that loose.
What is the impedance of a 472 capacitor at 1 kHz?
33.86 kΩ. Reactance is 1 ÷ (2πfC), so it falls as the frequency rises: the same part is 338.63 Ω at 100 kHz and 3.39 Ω at 10 MHz.
Nearby codes
- 562 capacitor — 5.6 nF
- 682 capacitor — 6.8 nF
- 822 capacitor — 8.2 nF
- 103 capacitor — 10 nF
- 123 capacitor — 12 nF
- 153 capacitor — 15 nF
- 183 capacitor — 18 nF
- 223 capacitor — 22 nF
- 273 capacitor — 27 nF
- 333 capacitor — 33 nF